het b-woord
The English phrase "the b word" is translated into Dutch as het b-woord.
het b-woord is a euphemism used to refer to the offensive word 'bitch' without saying it aloud.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the neuter article het (the), the letter b and woord (word).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because woord is a neuter noun, the phrase uses the article het rather than de.
Did you know?
- While het b-woord refers to the English loanword 'bitch', Dutch speakers also use the native term wijf as a derogatory word for a woman, though it literally translates to 'wife'.
- In the Netherlands, English swear words are often used in place of Dutch ones to soften the blow or make the insult feel less personal and more like a pop-culture reference.
- The modern article het in het b-woord resulted from a linguistic mistake where the contracted form 't was misinterpreted as the pronoun het.
Examples in context
- Ik wil het b-woord niet gebruiken.I don't want to use the b-word.
- Hij begon over het b-woord tijdens de film.He started talking about the b-word during the movie.
Example conversation
Lucas and Sophie are discussing a fight they witnessed.
- LucasDie man schreeuwde echt het b-woord tegen haar.That man really screamed the b-word at her.
- SophieWat onbeschamelijk van hem!How shameless of him!
- LucasIk kon niet geloven dat hij het b-woord zei.I couldn't believe he said the b-word.
- SophieDat is echt niet acceptabel.That is really not acceptable.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries het, CC BY-SA 4.0.
